A/N Wow. 7,000 words are ready for you to read already. :) Am I awesome, or what? Anywho, here it is. The story is almost over. Two or so chapters left. . . . I can't believe it. Let me know if anything confuses you and I will do my best to clarify it. Speaking of clarifying, I think that it's important to note that the orb that Ash broke on the ground two chapters ago was not the orb that holds the raw power of the unnamed pokemon (which I shall not name. I'm weird like that). The orb he broke was an invention of Team Rocket. This specific one held a gas to incapacitate pokemon. Sweet, right? :P Also, the scene in the previous chapter where Ash is talking to Gary about their new plan and the orb-that was a flashback. Ash was not in the cell with them, he was with Mark and the grunts, captured. All make sense? Let me know if not.

Previously:

When they arrived, the grunts stayed outside the door as Eitan followed Mark in. Moving around Mark, he was greeted to the site of Ash, Makaila, and the boy. One of which was thrashing and growling as he was pulled and pushed onto a table, Makaila yelling to the side as a grunt held her back.

Mark turned back to Eitan and the tension in the room didn't lesson one bit.

He smiled and stated calmly, with an underlying tone of danger disguised as a joke, "don't fail me. You won't like it."

Eitan knew it would be unwise to ask exactly what that test was. For all he knew, his job could be nothing but watching. Still, he held back the frown. Why did he do this again? Glancing into the room he saw Makaila fighting against the grunts, the boy being strapped down, and Ash torn between it all.

Oh. . . Right.

Because disobeying always led to that.

End Flashback:

Eitan found himself annoyed. Annoyed and disgusted. At who he wasn't sure. He didn't know why the feelings were there. They were sudden and he had never associated them with Team Rocket. Nevertheless, he felt sick, and he hated it. Despite the pride he was sure should come with the acknowledgment Mark had given him (and it was there), it couldn't cover the feeling of upset that was crawling up his throat at the sight before him.

The boy's left arm was locked down, but they were struggling with his right as he bucked and bit at the hands holding him, looking ridiculous but doing anything at all that he could to resist them. Grant and Casey had joined the grunts on their way over and now were in the room with them, off to the side. Grant leaned lazily against the wall, an annoyed look on his face, while Casey stood off the side to him with his arms crossed, standing straight. Eitan looked to Mark and saw the annoyance as he moved forward and stood above the boy's table. The instant wince and calming of the boy as Mark's shadow fell over him had Eitan confused, but he was distracted instantly with the yell behind them.

"Don't touch him!"

Grant's annoyed face melded into a sneer at her voice as he controlled the comeback he wanted to throw at her, if not for her then to infuriate Ash,

Mark turned to look at the one who had spoken, the person being Makaila. The grunts had cuffed Ash and Makaila next to each other as they waited for Mark's orders concerning them. Ash had been strangely quiet during the ordeal, only speaking up to quietly beg Makaila to hold her tongue. Now he sat still as Mark turned, and glared deathly at him but still didn't speak. At this Mark decided that it was time to deal with them and get back to the way things were. It was getting tiring. He looked down to see that the boy's other arm had been successfully tied down (he was still closing his eyes as though to hide as Mark stood over him) and reached over the table to a smaller table, picking up a vial and a needle and handing it to the lone grunt that was no longer working on tying him down. "Use this." The grunt nodded and began to fill the needle as Mark turned around to the other two. Makaila's eyes were wide, Ash continued to sit stoically.

Mark sighed and resisted running hand through his hair as he walked over to them. Standing directly in front of a sitting Ash, he said calmly. "I'm tired, and this is getting a little drug out. Why don't you just tell me who you are specifically now and what else it is you want, and you can be on your way?" Ash only continued to glare at him, eyes a little harder and Mark frowned. Then he shrugged. "Guess we'll have to do it the hard way." He turned over his shoulder to see if any of the grunts were watching and waved two of them over when he saw them staring.

Makaila watched warily as the grunts came near and then as Mark leaned over and placed his fingers at Ash's collar. Ash stiffened and looked away as Mark pulled the left side of his collar down and to the side to reveal three dots. "Well, we were right to keep you locked up weren't we?" Ash had to grit his teeth to keep from saying anything as Mark released his shirt and stepped back.

Looking to the backpack on the floor Mark reached down and picked it up almost lazily. He turned and passed the table where the boy was laying, now looking a bit lethargic after the drug that had been injected into his body, blue eyes closing tiredly. Reaching another small table with raised edges as if to keep things from falling, he turned the pack over and emptied it. There was jingling and tinkling as the smaller weapons fell onto the table and then a large thump that made him stop with the bag still tilted over the table.

Laying on it was a large orb and he hardly dared to believe it.

"Shit!" Mark barely held back the jump and roll of eyes at the expletive from Grant.

Beside Grant, Casey's body began to stiffen as he watched Mark look at it and place the pack aside without another look, the contents no longer mattering in the face of what lay before them all. Grant moved forward to stand beside Mark and look down at it. "It can't be," he stated quietly.

"Can indeed," Mark said flatly, not even a glance in his direction.

"But where-"

"I found it."

Mark and Grant both turned to see Casey standing stiffly. "It was in his pack when we brought him in. Took us a while to catch him and find it though. Didn't have time to report it with all that happened. I apologize." He gave a quick bow but didn't take his eyes from Mark's.

Mark allowed the room to absorb the comments and then nodded back calmly. "Of course," he stated, though it was unsure to which he was referring, the apology or the explanation. He turned back to the orb, a clear dismissal, and that was when it happened.

The door swung open and a grunt appeared, out of breath and mussed. Taking only a moment to catch his breath (not long enough for he was still breathing heavily when he stood), and bowed quickly. "Sir, his group has escaped. We're unsure as to how. We-We tried to contact you but the coms seem to be out."

Casey's form fell a bit, mouth opening slightly, Grant openly glared, and Mark's eyes only narrowed as he pulled the metal box from his belt. He pressed the button on the side only to be met with static no matter what he did. Turning to Ash he watched for reaction, finding the same calm glare-which spoke volumes to him but seemed to say nothing to the other occupants in the room.

Casey moved forward hesitantly, looking a little rushed. "Sir, we should use the orb now; in case of . . . interruptions."

Mark looked at Casey calmly and turned to Ash. After a quick but careful evaluation he spoke, "No."

Grant's mouth dropped. "No? Sir, I don't mean to speak beyond my-"

"Then don't speak," Mark stated, his iced glare turning to Grant, who froze and nodded, stepping back a bit. "This is exactly what they want," he stated quietly.

Motioning to the two grunts he stated, "bring him with me."

Ash faltered just a bit when he realized that he was being separated from Makaila. His first instinct was to fight them, but he pushed it down. It would do them no good. He could however not stop the words that came out with the obvious panic on Makaila's face. "It'll be alright, I promise." Makaila's lips trembled, then finally seeming to take his earlier pleading, she nodded and closed her mouth, eyes still a little lost.

Ash tried to fight the raging emotions that began to rise within him at the turn of events. It was supposed to be working, and it would have if Mark wasn't there. Casey and Grant were both up for using it, and Ash had only really expected Casey to be. Mark was ruining everything. He was obviously a tactician, which was probably the entire reason that he had rose above Casey and Grant in level even though he had started below them. How was he supposed to fight this man? Would he have to leave it all up to the others? No, he couldn't do that. So what?

"Eitan!" Eitan jumped and followed Mark out, surprised at being called by his real name.

As they reached the door, Mark stopped and looked into the room. Gripping the com tightly in his hand, the only hint to his emotions (Ash quickly filed this away), he looked at the boy and dismissed calmly, "kill him."

Makaila's eyes opened wide, for a moment she only stared in shock. Ash himself stiffened. And then the grunt nearest the boy looked at the table where the vial had been. Finding nothing, he reached under the cloth that covered the top to the second shelf on the roll-table and pulled out a different vial. It was obvious they hadn't expected this, but they had what they needed.

As the needle that would soon be in the boy went into the bottle Makaila screamed. "No! You can't!" She faltered, staring in horror. What could she do? There had to be something! Desperately, she turned to the group at the door. "Dad! Dad, please. Help, please!" In the back of her mind she knew that there was nothing that he could do, but she had to try everything. She couldn't do nothing.

Ash froze as he stared back at her. The fear crawled up his chest without him realizing it. This was going so much worse then he had planned. His brain seemed to freeze on him with the knowledge that he really could do nothing. If he moved he risked the plan that was hanging by a string, their only hope. If he didn't move he risked a person his daughter seemed to care for deeply. And that was assuming that he could move, held by two grunts with his leg still impeding his grace.

Were they completely lost?

No, they weren't. He had to hold onto the plan. The plan could still work. Even with these thoughts his mind was screaming at him and telling him to move. To help Makaila and the boy who had gone strangely still with the news, still looking tired but now shocked and lost but accepting as well, as if he had been waiting for it. That thought only made it all the worse. Before he could think of anything Mark continued out the door and the grunts continued after him, holding onto Ash tightly. The whispered apology died under the sound of feet as they left.

Makaila watched them go with a growing sense of hopelessness. An understanding that it actually might happen rose within her but she pushed it down. Her father couldn't do anything, but he had wanted to, she could see it. Reminding herself not to think bad of him, she turned back to the table. As the needle was nearly filled the boy finally began struggling against the ties holding him down, looking weak but pulling with everything he had. It wasn't enough.

Makaila couldn't breathe. She didn't know what to do. There had to be something. She couldn't be helpless. She had never been helpless before. She realized why now. It was because he had always been there. He had always shown up, always protected her. She had never been in danger because he had never been helpless. He could do anything. He could . . . Wait . . .

Why had he never been helpless?

It was with an almost audible click as everything came together for her. As the grunt set the needle against his arm, and the boy's eyes widened in panic and his mouth opened in a silent yell, she opened her mouth, went against everything Ash had told her not to do. . .

. . . and screamed with everything she had.

Brock leaned against the wall for the third time to catch his breath. He had made it all the way there without stopping, he had made it. He deserved this small reprieve. Besides, he wasn't sure he could go on without it.

Gary stopped beside him and leaned over to catch his breath as Alexi slowed to a stop beside them, standing up but taking in large gasps. "Thanks for the help," she stated breathlessly.

Gary waved her off. "It was our job."

She frowned. "So it was your job to save my life?"

Gary rolled his eyes. "Like I was going to let you die. It's not my fault you can't protect yourself."

Her mouth fell open. "I was trying-"

Brock cut them both off with a wheezing breath, and stated, "We're all looking out for each other. No thanks or pride necessary."

Gary frowned at the word 'pride,' but stuffed it down because of the irony that would come if he were to speak on it and instead asked, "You doing alright?"

Brock broke into a pained smile, "Well, not much that I can do about it."

Gary nodded. "True."

Alexi groaned. "We should go." Turning to Brock she asked calmly. "You ready or should we stay a minute?"

Brock shook his head and pushed off the wall. "No, you're right. We should go."

Skye came up behind them and wiped his hands off, pulling his blond hair back behind him. "You guys ready?"

Alexi nodded and turned with one last look to door in the hall behind them. It was strangely silent. There should have been grunts guarding the door, but Skye and Gary had taken care of that (Brock was out for much of the fighting but was still a great help). The room was for communications. They had expected to need Alexi's help in shutting down the coms (talkies for communication), but the room had been filled with more grunts than they had anticipated. When they had entered, Alexi had found herself overwhelmed with the grunts that came forward and the others had been unable to make a path for her to the controls. With a growl of annoyance Skye had beaten down a grunt, taken his gun and simply shot the controls and anything else of electronic value to smithereens. Alexi had been concerned that it wouldn't work properly-until the grunts were finally beaten, and they checked the coms on each grunt to find that none of them were working.

Well, that was one way to take care of it.

Now they were on their way to the room for computer and info control (this of course, wasn't the proper name, just what Alexi thought of it to herself as). It was interesting that the communication had been separate from all of that, but Alexi supposed that they wanted to keep the communications separate because of it's importance. It was surprising that they had all made it out alright. Though it did help that all of the men with her had had grunt training at some point in time.

Breaking herself from her thoughts, Alexi followed the rest of the group that had already started to move, watching Brock carefully at the slight stumble he quickly recovered from.

Ash kept careful track of where they were going, but it didn't end up being necessary as they only moved further down the hallway before stopping again and entering another room. Swiftly Mark, Casey, Grant, and Eitan entered, followed by Ash and the grunts.

"Set him down over there," Mark motioned without looking and walked across the room. The grunts did as ordered and pulled Ash down roughly, reconnecting the cuffs around the chair to keep him there. Ash looked around as they stepped back. He was surprised and hopeful, but also nervous.

The room looked like a test room. The walls were black, and Ash could see the familiar rubber lining around the door to keep the room sealed and keep sound in. Looking quickly away from the door he took in the rest of the room. There were more roll-able tables in the room, covered in dirty white sheets and vials and tools. But besides those there were things that were not in every test room. In the middle of the room there was a long and wide cylinder glass tube that started from the floor and continued to the ceiling. It looked firm and strong with a thick metal base. Ash vaguely thought of Skye's telling of Sarah's death, the life pulled out of her inside a clear cylinder. The thought gave him shivers as he realized that he was probably looking at the very thing that had done it to her, or at least one that was similar.

His attention was drawn to Grant as he cursed again. Ash saw that they (Grant, Mark, and Casey) were standing in front of some other device. Another cylinder, but metal and only waist high. The top curved up like a dish, inviting. Above it, a round slab of faded metal hung like a magnet. Tubes rose from it's back and rose to the ceiling, crawling across it to reach near a wall of computers and attached at the end to metal case, fused to the wall. Ash realized that he was probably looking at the very contraption that Gary had mentioned would be used to break down the orb. Even as he was thinking it, Mark laid the orb down on the dish-shaped top of the contraption and stepped back, calmly staring at it. Casey was noticeably biting the inside of his bottom lip to keep from speaking, but Grant openly declared, "well?"

Mark's eyes darted to him with a glare. "Give it a moment."

Grant blinked, "You haven't done anything yet."

A slight smirk tilted Mark's features, "I know."

Grant tilted his head up and glared back. "Going down is as easy as coming up."

The smirk went right off Mark's face with a glare. "Don't try to threaten me," he stated quietly.

Grant smirked. "I haven't threatened anyone."

A pause. "Going down is as easy as coming up." Then Mark pulled his arms over his chest and stated stoically. "That power often lies with those who are higher up though, wouldn't you say? Considering we're only having a polite conversation. . . ."

Another pause. Grant's features twitched and he stepped back. "Yes sir," he stated calmly.

Ash saw the smirk barely controlled under Mark's features and filed it away as yet another emotion for the man.

"We'll not use it yet," Mark stated calmly.

"Why?" Grant couldn't help but ask.

"Because that's exactly what he wants," Mark stated with a point to Ash, though he didn't look in his direction. Casey and Grant did and Ash's eyes widened. The man was a tactician. What to do now?

"It's alright though," Mark went on. "We will do it eventually. When the time is right for us."

Ash trembled, thinking momentarily of the friends who were even now working and doing everything for this plan. He had to fix it. He had to fix it.

"So, why is Mark in charge?" Ash asked. Everyone in the room turned to look at him as Ash spoke for the first time.

He could only hope it would work.

Misty frowned as Drew and May began to argue. That was all good and well at home but this was in the middle of a Team Rocket base. To be fair, it wasn't as if their argument didn't have any merit. Misty herself wasn't sure of who to side with. Whose idea had it been to pair the four of them up (Keagan included), when none of them had ever been in the base on their own before? Why throw the ex-grunts together and then pair the rest of them? She sighed mentally as she thought of Ash. She knew that there had been a reason, she just wasn't sure about it anymore. With Alexi it was obvious that she would need fighters who could get her past the grunts and to controls. With them, they needed no fighters, only stealth. They had forgotten one very crucial detail: . . . directions.

Misty sighed again as Drew argued with May on the direction to go and Keagan stood back and rubbed at his neck, clueless. Did any of them have a sense of direction? She looked down both halls as the voices beside her grew more frustrated and tried to remember their visit from years ago. How had they gotten down to the room with the files?

Misty started out in one direction without comment, sure that they would follow (and if she stayed to talk about it they would only continue to argue and get nothing done).

May blinked and watched her and then Keagan as he passed her and followed Misty. Drew growled. "That's the wrong way."

Misty sighed. She'd done that a lot in the last few minutes. "At least we're moving."

"That doesn't help if you're going the wrong way." This was said more to himself then it was to Misty. May had already moved to follow. It had been the way that she had wanted to go. With a sigh, Drew took off after them.

A few minutes later they were still lost and Drew was trying very hard not to announce that he had known that this was going to happen. He would stop himself by looking at Misty and taking in her rising frustration and worry. It was enough to quell the urge to gloat or tell them off. Finally stopping in annoyance, Misty opened the door nearest them.

"Misty!" May started, then sighed when she saw that the room was empty, though the light was also off.

"Maybe there's a map or something in here," Misty stated. She reached over and grew even more tense when she couldn't find the switch. A moment of searching and she switched sides and reached it.

They all gasped.

Drew blinked. "Are these like the weapons Ash had with him?"

Misty took it in with an open mouth. "I think so."

The room was filled with strange things they had never seen before. Small orbs like the one Ash had thrown on the floor were sitting on a rack lined against one wall, different colors of mist swirled in different orbs. Against another wall were a row of guns held down with metal bars. A key-pad laid at the end of the row. The other walls were covered in things they were unsure as to. Small computer chips of different shades were organized in baskets lined on racks. There were smaller tools that looked like guns but had strange attachments, some even looked near to children's toys but they knew not to be taken in by those looks.

"Wow," May whispered. Then straightening, "this could really help us."

"Yeah it could," Keagan whispered. He started forward at the same time that Misty did, Drew and May still standing in the door. "Look at this." Keagan reached down for one of the guns with a bright blue attachment on the side, one that looked similar to a toy and pulled on it. It didn't budge and he frowned, leaned over to see what was keeping it down and found a metal lock strapped over the gap below the trigger. Turning to his side he saw the pin-pad and sighed. He stood up and looked around, there were a lot of pin-pads now that he was focusing on them. "They sure take protection seriously," he muttered to himself.

May frowned as she entered the room and walked to the row of orbs, reaching down for one only to jump back with a yelp and suck on her finger.

"May!" Drew moved forward before she could tell him what had happened.

May waved him off while still sucking on the other finger. "I'm fine," she mumbled around the finger. "Just hurt."

Keagan blinked in confusion. "What did it do?"

May pulled her finger from her mouth and looked at the slightly pink tip with a frown. "Shocked me. Pretty badly."

Drew strangely sighed in relief at her words. 'Shocked,' he could handle. He hadn't realized how nervous he had been until it had happened. And with her and Drake being so close to being hurt earlier . . . On the inside he was beginning to panic. They needed to leave. This was dangerous and he wasn't feeling comfortable keeping his wife and son there, regardless of the fact that it was to save Ash's daughter. He understood it. He wanted to help. But he had his job too, and it was to protect his family, not Ash's.

Of course it wasn't as if he was keeping his wife there. She had made it abundantly clear on more than one occasion that Drew and everyone else did not make her decisions for her. And Ash was their friend, so he deserved the help. Drew only hoped to get everyone out alright, but there was only so much he could do. He realized then that he needed to make his family his first priority. His focus needed to be on them.

Speaking of them. . .

Drake sighed and leaned against the wall, scrubbing his foot on the floor. It was so boring! And it wasn't fair really. If you didn't want the kids to help then don't bring them in the first place. That was his opinion as he stood there, side to side with Michael and Taylor, who were admittingly older than him but that wasn't the point.

He sighed and pulled his foot under him, head lolling back in boredom. "So what now?" he asked.

Taylor continued to stare ahead, a sign she was thinking because even if she was blind she did usually turn in your direction at least. Michael turned fully to him and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Drake stiffened. "Are we really just supposed to stand here?"

Michael gave him a once over and sighed, leaning against the wall himself. "I came to get something for Taylor, so I'm not about to go dragging her all over their base. It wouldn't do any good. Much as I know it's probably driving you crazy, this really is the best way we'll be able to help. We just have to wait."

Taylor was frowning, but Michael took no notice as Drake pulled his arms tighter around himself. "I could do so much more than this," he whispered to himself.

Michael blinked. "What about-"

"It's always like this." He went on before Michael could finish. "They're so over-protective. It doesn't matter what it is. They're so much like each other. I hate it. They both like the same things so they want me to like them too-and I don't. I don't want to coordinate. I don't want to sit by and do nothing." His fingers gripped tighter to his arms. "I'm sick of pretending to be someone that I'm not. I'm not like them. Is there really something wrong with that?"

"Then do it," Taylor whispered.

Both turned to her. Michael looked confused as his mouth opened, "Taylor-"

"No, really. I of all people know what it's like to feel helpless. We were younger than he is when we escaped from here. His parents were barely older than him when they helped. He's right. It's not fair. They just love him but . . . sometimes that's not enough."

Michael blinked in shock. "Taylor . . . "

Now Taylor did turn in his direction and Drake stared back. "They do it because it's their job. Because they're your parents and that's the whole point of being parents, to give you the best things and keep you safe. Michael and I . . . we never had any parents. We're not used to doing things because people that love us tell us 'no.' We listened because the people ordering us around had more power than we did." She paused before going on. "So. . . here's the thing. You have to decide for yourself. You can listen to them because you respect that they're doing it because they love you and you want to show that those sacrifices are things that you aren't going to take for granted. Or you can help them because you feel the same way they do and know that you have something to give. Either way is fine. It's up to what is more important to you."

Michael frowned as he looked between the two. Slowly, Drake's arms fell from their death grip around him and he walked beside the two of them, staring down the hall. After a long moment of silence Drake's body stiffened and he ran past Michael and Taylor.

There was a moment of silence that passed as Drake left. Finally Michael turned to Taylor. "Why did you do that?" He whispered carefully, worried for Drake's sake.

Taylor stubbornly stared at the wall, a determined look on her face. "Because I know what it feels like. And if I could, I would risk everything to do more. . . regardless of the danger. Sometimes the danger is worth it. It will be. . . for him."

Michael blinked, a small smile starting on his face and turned to the wall with her. "I really hope that you're right."

A few minutes of searching for a way to get any of the weapons off the racks and shelves and they were still at a loss.

Keagan sighed and stepped back. "What now?"

"I guess we go without them?" May stated.

"Maybe we should try again."

"How?" Drew asked in annoyance. "It's not working. We're wasting time."

Misty rolled her eyes, but stopped mid motion as her eyes caught something. They resembled metal cookies. Balls that had been pressed down to fat disks with small buttons on top. She walked closer and looked them over till she finally placed them. One was over on it's side and she could just barely see the black screen. They were explosives. Interesting form, but explosives none the less. She looked back over Ash's plan. This could really help. They were small. But perhaps that was better. They could use them to reach the small areas or the base without destroying the entire area.

As she thought it, a distant rumble caught them all off. A small shake of the building. May's mouth opened. "Wha-What was that?"

"Time to go," Drew stated.

Misty's stomach fluttered in panic. "But we're not done yet! We still need to get rid of the records. And the rest of the base-" She cut herself off and looked back to the rack. Quickly she looked at the pin-pad then looked around the room for something heavy. "There has to be something," she stated quietly.

"Misty, we don't have a lot of time. We need to do our part before the base-"

"This will help! We don't have time to do everything we were supposed to do," she started as she looked around.

Keagan only stood to the side thoughtfully staring at the pin-pad and frowned. "Alexi could do this. She did it as a kid. It can't be that difficult."

Misty groaned. "Then you better help us figure it out fast."

Keagan frowned and stood over it, and shook his head. "How did she do it?"

May was starting to feel antsy herself now as she began to back to the door. "She did it because she's not normal, Keagan. She feels the keys that others have used because of the sensitivity in her fingers and the heat she can feel. Remember?"

Keagan frowned, annoyed that May had brought that up when he was supposed to be the one dating Alexi. "There was more than that. She's smart too. Nobody could do it just by feeling keys."

"That's nice Keagan. Let's go." Drew cut in, glancing to the door nervously.

Misty clenched her teeth. "Keagan, help me think of something."

He nodded. Drew stopped and stared. "We don't have time for this. We don't have to have-"

Everyone turned with the crash as Drew fell, walking backwards into a metal bar supporting a dish with holding yet another weapon. Falling in surprise, he reflexively grabbed the bar and it came with him, breaking from it's hold. Drew jumped all the more at the shock it gave him and sat in shock as he recovered from the fall and shock combined.

"Drew, are you alright?" May stared with wide, worried eyes and reached out as if to touch him but stayed back.

Drew stared forward and then shook his head and looked up to May blankly. "Ow."

May stared a moment longer and then couldn't help it. Little giggles started coming from behind her closed mouth. Drew frowned. "That hurt."

She nodded and rose her hands to her mouth to try and stop. "I know," she muttered through the giggles. "You're just . . . you're usually so coordinated. It . . . It was funny." She finally gave into the giggles and they came forcefully.

Drew tried to be mad, but it really was hard with the happy look on her face. Standing up grumpily, he jumped as Misty exclaimed, "That's it!"

All turned to look at her as she crossed the room and pulled the bar that Drew had disconnected up. "We could use this."

Drew blinked. "How?"

She looked over the occupants of the room, and remembered the rolling tables in the other rooms with medical supplies. Her mind stayed on the rolling tables longer than she had reason and her eyes widened. Spinning on her heal she turned to the man behind her, "Keagan! Go to one of the nearby rooms and find one of those rolling tables. There should be a pair of rubber gloves around it somewhere."

Keagan stared, and then his eyes widened in recognition. "Good idea." He started past her and ran out of the room quickly.

May stared after him a little blankly. "I- don't get it."

Drew turned to May and then over to Misty and remained silent as she walked back to the shelf holding the bombs/explosives. "They're only connected to the current of electricity so far as they're on the table. They wouldn't take chances so I'm guessing that if we really held on and kept trying to take them we would be seriously hurt. But even so," she held up the bar, "we just have to get them off the table."

Drew opened his mouth to ask a question on it just as Keagan came back in the room with two gloves and handed them to Misty. A smile split her face. "Thank you Keagan."

He nodded, out of breath, and leaning over and motioned to the bar. "Need any help with that?"

She shook her head and pulled the gloves on. "This is going to work." Flexing the gloves around her hands and checking for holes she found them in perfect condition (of course, as no grunt would want to risk themselves), and picked up the bar again and tilted the end towards the metal bin the explosives were laid in. Gently she placed the end on the shelf beside the bin. A very audible buzzing sound came and Misty jumped. The entire group moved forward a bit but Misty quickly shook her head. "I'm fine, I promise." Getting over her surprise, she moved the tip to the edge of the bin and tried to push it, furrowing her brows when it refused to move. "It's like it's magnetized."

"Maybe it's the electricity," Drew mumbled.

"Could it be bolted down?" May asked in concern.

For a moment Misty felt worry and bout of disappointment and what was probably the truth. But it seemed that either her or Drew had been correct as the bin suddenly moved, almost jumped, two inches. Misty blinked and smiled, and pushed harder with the pole. A strange tingling feeling was starting in her hands and she wasn't sure if it was due to the electricity or the pressure that she was putting on the pole. But she didn't have time to worry about it and was rewarded again when the metal bin jumped once more, the edge hanging over the shelf. Only a minute more of pushing and the last jump from the bin sent it off the shelf and left it's contents all over the floor.

"Yes!" May exclaimed.

Misty smiled and dropped the pole and the gloves and started towards the pile only to stop with a look of alarm.

Keagan frowned. "Misty, what's the matter?"

"Sh!" She said hurriedly, becoming a bit pale. At her shush they all stopped and listened.

May tilted her head. "I don't hear anything."

Drew shushed her and stepped forward, leaning a bit. "It's. . . " His eyes widened and he straightened. "It's beeping!"

At once Misty dropped to the floor and grabbed the bin. Her hand's definitely tingled this time and she winced but scooped up all of the explosives and placed them back in the bin till she got to the bottom of the pile. A single explosive lay upside down, button pushed in on the floor, numbers swiftly counting down on the upturned bottom side.

"Okay, now it really is time to go." Drew muttered.

"Couldn't agree more," Misty stated, and spun past him with the bin in hand. Drew blinked at her quick exit and turned to follow her with the others.

Once they were a safe distance away Misty stopped against the wall and held the bin to her body, breathing heavily. "Okay, now does somebody know the right way? We really don't have time to argue now."

Drew snorted. "I told you all it was-"

"Hey! I recognize this! I know which way!" May took off past him and left Drew staring at where she had been standing blankly. Keagan and Misty turned to each other, shrugged, and followed her.

Drew turned after them with his mouth open. "You're going to follow May?"

"I heard that Drew!" May called from a short distance ahead of them.

"You were supposed to!" Drew called back smartly. Then with a sigh he followed, breaking into a run as they did.

May led them down a series of stairs that had Drew straining with the familiarity. Maybe May did know which way she was going. As they reached the bottom the hall became dark and unlit.

"This is it," Misty whispered, "I remember."

"It does look familiar." Keagan stated.

Landing on the bottom stair they saw one single hallway ahead of them. The end was shrouded in darkness without lights and there were only four doors against the long walls.

Misty set the case down against the wall outside the first door and pushed. The door opened to reveal a room stacked high with papers and cabinets. A look of wonder crossed her face. "This is it!"

Somewhere farther down the hallway Drew called out, "this room's full of paper too!"

May frowned as she looked from Drew to Misty. "Should we really be doing this? What about all of the people that will never know . . . who they are?"

This caused Drew and Misty to pause, the excitement levelling.

"All of the work to get here," Drew whispered

Keagan spoke quietly. "It would have been better for Alexi not to know that her parents didn't want her. . . . Not everything should be known. These people are here for a reason."

Misty frowned, visibly torn by May's words and whispered, "Ash would have never met Delia. She wouldn't have a son. Makaila wouldn't have a grandmother."

There was silence after that.

"Isn't it better that they have the chance to live?" Drew asked suddenly. The others turned to him slowly.

"We could save some," May said quietly.

"We wouldn't know which ones mean something, and we can't carry them all out." Keagan spoke.

Misty looked back into the room and at the files towering before her. If Ash was still caught in Team Rocket, what would she do? "Drew's right." Misty finally whispered. "It's better that they have the chance to escape this place. To live. . . . They can chose for themselves ...who they are." And though the words still held some resistance, it was the best she could give. Shaking, she reached into the bin and grabbed an explosive, clicking the top and throwing it into the room. The beeping was slow and steady as it echoed in the small room. And then there was silence in the hall as Misty closed the door and cut them all off from the sound.

After a few moments, Drew walked over and reached into the bin as well, pulling out one of the bombs, and walking back to the door that he had stood in front of. Keagan let out a breath of anxiety. "They're right," he whispered. May looked to him with a sad look but nodded. Hands shaking he reached in and grabbed the explosive, walking to the last door.

Drew held it over his head as May opened her door. He could feel the tenseness running off of May in waves even with his back turned. Glancing over his shoulder at her, hand still up, he whispered, "farthest throw wins?"

May recognized the words for what they were and smiled lightly, not turning, and whispered shakily, "You're on."

A nod. Keagan smiled. "Three, two, one," and threw his explosive with them all, followed with the somewhat unsynchronized sound of the last three doors shutting.

A moment of silence and the three turned to look at Misty, who continued to stare deeply at her door.

"We should go," Drew whispered, aware of how many times he had said the same thing in the last hour.

They all knew it, but no one made to move from the rooms they were destroying, the rooms holding the pasts of every child stolen from their homes or forced to be a grunt.

"I'm not the only one aware that we just threw explosives in there, am I?" Keagan stated lightly, but like Drew, he didn't move.

Surprisingly, May stepped back first. Turning to Misty, she walked over to her as the men watched and laid her hand on her shoulder. Misty looked at her with a small smile of reassurance.

"It's time to get your daughter, Misty."

Misty nodded, a smile coming over her face and turned to run back up the stairs, followed hesitantly by the others.

Makaila screamed.

Ash asked.

Misty ran.

. . . and they all hoped it would be enough.

A/N Did the last four sentences all add up for you? Let me know. I wanted to focus a bit more on the three of them in this chapter. I felt that they needed a bit more "screen-time," and all of them are in a bit of a spot aren't they? What will happen to 'the boy?' Will Drake help or will he just get himself into even more trouble? Will Ash's plan work to save his daughter and bring down Team Rocket or will Mark outsmart all of his plans? :D First time I've ever done that! :) Look forward to it!